McFarland Memorial Bell Tower: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 16:18, 27 February 2012
40°6.20′N 88°13.655′W / 40.10333°N 88.227583°W Template:Infobox Bar
The McFarland Memorial Bell Tower is a 185-foot bell tower that was built on the South Quad of the The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
History
The original design of the tower was going to be used as a renovation of Altgeld Hall that had been planned since 1998, but was soon canceled because the renovation was not currently possible.
The original funding for the project came from H. Richard McFarland, who had graduated from the College of Agriculture in 1952. McFarland had previously been known for his contributions for the construction of the ACES library and also granting two scholarships per year to students with farm-related backgrounds. McFarland and his wife, Sarah "Sally" McFarland, were both wanting to fund the construction of a Presbyterian church on campus when she died of ovarian cancer in 2003. After her death McFarland donated $1.5 million for the construction of the tower which would be named in her honor.
Architecture
The tower houses 48 bells that were cast in the Netherlands, and were originally meant for Altgeld Hall. The bells are played by an electronic system that is run by a piano-like keyboard that can play over 500 songs.
"Eye of Sauron" prank
In the early hours of Saturday, September 20, 2008, students hung a replica of the "Eye of Sauron" in the top half of the tower. The eye is from J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings and is a symbol of evil and oppression.
According to the Assistant Chief of University Police, so far no suspects have been caught.